More to come for Lamar WR Hayes

Published 2:11 pm, Sunday, November 20, 2011

Lamar's J.J. Hayes catches a touchdown during the first quarter of Lamar's game against McNeese State Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Lamar's J.J. Hayes catches a touchdown during the first quarter of Lamar's game against McNeese State Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Photo: Matt Billiot

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Lamar's J.J. Hayes catches a touchdown in the second quarter against Nicholls State Saturday in Thibodaux, La.

Lamar's J.J. Hayes catches a touchdown in the second quarter against Nicholls State Saturday in Thibodaux, La.

Photo: Matt Billiot

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Cardinals wide receiver J.J. Hayes, center, talks with teammate Josh Powdrill during a rest on the sidelines in the first half against Incarnate Word at Provost Umphrey Stadium Saturday, September 17, 2011.
Valentino Mauricio/The Enterprise less

Cardinals wide receiver J.J. Hayes, center, talks with teammate Josh Powdrill during a rest on the sidelines in the first half against Incarnate Word at Provost Umphrey Stadium Saturday, September 17, 2011. ... more

Cardinals wide receiver J.J. Hayes warms up running routes and catching passes on the field during Wednesday's practice. The Lamar Cardinals will take on Texas College in their season opener Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium
Wednesday, August 31, 2011.
Valentino Mauricio/The Enterprise less

Cardinals wide receiver J.J. Hayes warms up running routes and catching passes on the field during Wednesday's practice. The Lamar Cardinals will take on Texas College in their season opener Saturday at Provost ... more

He suffered an apparent rib injury late in the first half of Lamar's season-ending game Saturday but returned after halftime to continue catching passes.

He ended with 14, which set a single-game school record. And his 951 receiving yards for the season also set a school record. He already held Lamar's single-game mark for receiving yards with 212 against Northwestern State.

But not every game for Hayes this season was this productive.

He caught zero passes two weeks ago against Stephen F. Austin. And he went four straight games without a touchdown.

So the coach pulled Hayes aside before a game Nov. 12 at Nicholls State to talk.

"I sat him on the bench and talked to him," Woodard said. "And we just talked through some things. I said, 'You're going to get every snap in the first half if you give everything you've got and you really focus.'

"So he's just played a lot better the last two weeks and really come through."

Late in Lamar's season-ending loss Saturday is when Woodard did Hayes one more favor.

He asked quarterback Caleb Berry, who suffered a leg injury when trying to chase down a McNeese defender as he returned an interception for a touchdown, if he could throw at least one more pass.

Berry said yes.

And that was how Hayes topped the single-game catches record previously set in 1981 by Herbert Harris.

Woodard knew Hayes needed one more catch to break the record only because Lamar sports information director Rush Wood told Woodard on the sideline.

Next for Hayes is to try to find a way into professional football. Hayes is regarded as the Lamar senior with the best chance to continue playing.

Woodard said representatives from all 32 NFL teams have been to Lamar to view video. He will continue working to help Hayes for as long as Hayes puts forth effort.

Nothing has come easily for Hayes. He did not play football until his junior year at Diboll High School. He experienced a fractured home life and lived periodically in a van. That van is where Woodard found Hayes to give him the scholarship papers he needed to play at Lamar.

"He's one of my favorite players," Woodard said. "He's still got a little growing up to do. He's still a little young mentally."